A preview and prediction for each of the top football games in Orange County this week. The teams are listed by their ranking in the Orange County Top 25.
GAME OF THE WEEK
NO. 1 MATER DEI (2-0) VS. CENTENNIAL (2-1)
Where, when: Centennial High, Corona, Friday, 7 p.m.
Live coverage: Spectrum 1, Spectrum SportsNet
Analysis: Mater Dei has two close wins. It opened the season in Florida where it defeated Ft. Lauderdale’s St. Thomas Aquinas 26-23. Their game against Bishop Montgomery was canceled, a Bishop Montgomery forfeit. Mater Dei then struggled to beat Hawaii’s Kahuku 21-18 at Santa Ana Stadium. Closer games than expected? Well, St. Thomas Aquinas and Kahuku both are excellent programs. Mater Dei’s is every other team’s Super Bowl. The Monarchs won everything they could win last season, so some complacency on that roster of teen-agers is very possible. They also have a new quarterback, Wisconsin commit Ryan Hopkins, a senior transfer from JSerra. So everyone on offense, even will all of that offseason 7-on-7 stuff that has zero tackling, might still be getting to know each other. This is the opportunity for Mater Dei to shine, because the opponent is a good one and it’s the big Southern California TV game this week. Hopkins in the Kahuku game was not as great as he can be, completing 11 of 19 passes for 122 yards with a touchdown and an interception. But the Monarchs ran the ball well, with Justin Lewis going for 95 yards on 10 carries. Mater Dei also kept the penalty yardage under triple figures against Kahuku – nine penalties for 68 yards after getting flagged 17 times for 155 yards in the St. Thomas Aquinas game. Centennial is 1-1 against Trinity League teams this season. The Huskies walloped Servite 42-14 in their season opener before losing in overtime to Santa Margarita 33-27. They rebounded nicely last week with a 42-6 over visiting Bingham of Utah. Centennial quarterback Dominick Catalano had some standout moments against Santa Margarita, throwing for 233 yards and two touchdowns but he also tossed three interceptions. Mater Dei has the type of defense that can produce similar turnover results. And Hopkins is due for a big game.
Winner: Mater Dei
MIRA COSTA (2-0) VS. NO. 13 LA HABRA (3-0)
Where, when: La Habra High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Mira Costa’s score in the all-important HSratings.com ratings is 32.8, the highest of any team on La Habra’s schedule. La Habra’s rating is 29.8. Mira Costa has wins over St. Francis 45-19 and Redondo Union 31-0. Those two Mira Costa opponents are a combined 0-5. La Habra defeated Upland 34-20, Northview 56-21 and Ayala 41-14. Those three are a combined 2-7. Mira Costa has a balanced offense. The Mustangs have 398 rushing yards and 397 passing yards. An injury limited the play of All-Bay League junior running back AJ McBean in the Redondo game. McBean is questionable to play against La Habra, but Mira Costa still has a formidable offense led by senior twins Liam Meeker at quarterback and Luke Meeker at receiver. Luke Meeker also has 11 solo tackles and five sacks. La Habra junior quarterback DJ Mitchell is a rising star. Mitchell (6-2, 170), who has offers from Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma and many others, has passed for 600 yards and seven touchdowns and has rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns. La Habra has had some great teams in Coach Frank Mazzotta’s successful tenure since taking over the Highlanders program in 1996. This could be another of them.
Winner: La Habra
NO. 2 MISSION VIEJO (3-0) VS. SAN DIEGO LINCOLN (3-0)
Where, when: Southwestern Community College, Chula Vista, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Lincoln is the top team in San Diego County. The Hornets are No. 12 on the HSratings.com rankings of California teams and No. 8 in the CalHiSports.com state rankings. Lincoln got a 50-31 win last week against Las Vegas Arbor View of Las Vegas as junior running back Rashad Robinson rushed for 223 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. The Hornets also have a 36-20 win over Long Beach Poly. Mission Viejo rocked Folsom 53-14 last week when Folsom was No. 9 in the HSratings.com state rankings. Ohio State-committed senior quarterback Luke Fahey passed for 323 yards and five touchdowns. Fahey did so without two-time All-County receiver Vance Spafford who was injured. Mission Viejo shackled the Folsom running game, holding the Bulldogs to 24 rushing yards on 32 carries. JD Hill, who committed to Northern Arizona, had 5.5 sacks for Mission Viejo last week. This Diablos defense held Santa Margarita to three points, even when Santa Margarita had standout receiver Trent Mosley playing. Look for that defense to be great again in this one.
Winner: Mission Viejo
SERRA (2-1) VS. NO. 4 ORANGE LUTHERAN (2-1)
Where, when: Orange Coast College, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Both teams are coming off of losses to excellent teams. Serra lost to Los Alamitos 41-21. Orange Lutheran lost in Arizona to Basha, the No. 8 team in HSratings.com’s national rankings. The Lancers trailed 24-0 at halftime and rallied in the second half before being turned away on a fourth down try at the Basha 14-yard line with 17 seconds left in the game. The final score was 30-24. Orange Lutheran junior quarterback Reagan Toki has completed 67 percent of his passes for 754 yards and seven touchdowns without an interception. Junior receiver Chris Flores Jr. has 20 catches for 199 yards and two touchdowns and Nico Bland, another junior, has 17 receptions for 299 yards and three touchdowns. Serra had shutout wins of 26-0 over Palos Verdes and 47-0 over Los Angeles Hamilton before the loss to Los Alamitos. Orange Lutheran has played out of state in two of its three games. High school-aged athletes are not like pro athletes who are very accustomed to playing in strange places. Playing a game in home environs will be good for the Orange Lutheran players’ heads.
Winner: Orange Lutheran
NO. 18 CAPISTRANO VALLEY (2-1) VS. NO. 24 ALISO NIGUEL (2-0)
Where, when: Aliso Niguel High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: This is a fine matchup of good south county teams. Capistrano Valley was 2-0 after wins over Barstow 41-21 and Arizona’s Campo Verde 26-16. The Cougars were outplayed in every way last week in a 23-6 loss to Crean Lutheran. Aliso Niguel beat Beckman 38-3 and Chino 52-13. Aliso quarterback Carter Vestermark passed for 271 yards and five touchdowns last week against Chino. Brody Blasing and Dane Malloy each had two touchdown receptions. Capistrano Valley could muster only 125 yards of total offense against Crean Lutheran. Put that on Crean’s outstanding defense, led by ridiculously strong-and-quick lineman James Carrington, an Oklahoma commit. Cougars quarterback Talon Spencer, who passed for 376 yards eight touchdowns over the wins against Barstow and Campo Verde, does not have to worry about having that saber-toothed tiger chasing him this week.
Winner: Capistrano Valley
Fryer last week: 3-2
Fryer for the season: 9-6